Introduced
by Rellik 01011993
Summary: JJ has been trying to convince Reid to consult on a BAU case for a very long time, he finally agrees. Timeline has been...tweaked.
1. Chapter 1

Agent Hotchner stared at his media liaison and the young man standing slightly behind and to the left of her. "JJ? Is there something you would like to explain?" he raised one brow, indicating that he was not going to say any more on the matter; it was up to her now.

"Hotch, this is Dr Spencer Reid. Reid, this is our Unit Chief SSA Hotchner." JJ introduced easily, taking a seat at the round table. "You told me you wanted someone to consult on this case Hotch, and Dr Reid is the absolute best there is." She turned to face Dr Reid, offering him a chair and ignoring her supervisor.

As the others filed in Hotch watched on in shock as they each greeted the young Doctor in friendly terms. "Hey, Pretty Boy, I see JJ finally snagged you in to consult on one of our cases huh?" Morgan chuckled, clapping the younger man on the shoulder. "Good to see you man, good to see you."

Dr Reid nodded slowly. "Morgan, it's good to see you too. And you know how JJ can be when she gets an idea in her head…" he responded softly. "Besides, this case…if there's anything I can do to wrap it up a bit quicker…"

Garcia was next, hugging the young man from where she stood beside him. "Boy Wonder! I thought you swore you'd never help on one of our cases?" she practically squealed in delight at seeing the young man.

Hotch could see the blush rising on the young Doctor's cheek before he even started to try to wriggle out of Garcia's embrace. "Penelope, while it is pleasant to see you again…I don't believe this…greeting is entirely appropriate given our surroundings." He sounded just as embarrassed as he looked and Garcia released him…after pecking him on the cheek with a kiss.

Rossi paused at the doorway, obviously shocked, before continuing into the room. "Reid, I find myself both glad you're here and dreading what sort of case we have that finally convinced you to consult…" the older agent grimaced, smiling sadly at the young man.


	2. Chapter 2

Hotch sat down beside JJ on the jet and she could tell what he wanted to discuss. "Spence comes to my get togethers. The ones that you never come to because you're too busy trying to convince Hayley to come back to you." She answered before he could ask. "He has lived next door to me since we were kids. When I started having the dinners with the team, it was natural that I would invite him. Spence is normally not the most sociable person in the world, but he took to the team like you wouldn't believe." Her eyes lit up with joy and Hotch felt guilty.

Sure, the others sometimes needed time to themselves, but JJ's dinners were more like a family get together than a work dinner. He had avoided his family for the sake of a woman who couldn't love him enough to handle the type of life he had to live. Suddenly, he wished he had gone to every one of JJ's dinners. If only so he would know the young man that the rest of his team was obviously so close to.

"I'm sorry JJ…" he spoke softly. "When Hayley left I thought…" he shook his head, not entirely sure what he had been thinking.

JJ smiled in that understanding, motherly way she had. "You thought that if you could devote every moment of every day you were home to Hayley, she would change her mind. You thought that there was a chance of her coming home to you. And none of us blame you for that Hotch, but if you're ready, it's time for you to come home to us." She glanced to the middle of the plain where Dr Reid sat reading the case file. "You'll want to sit in for this; he's amazing when he gets started."

Hotch moved to sit closer to the rest of his team, watching in astonishment as Reid flicked the pages of the file quickly, but judging by the intense concentration on the young man's face, he was _reading_. Hotch looked to Morgan, wide eyed. The younger agent chuckled happily. "Yeah, the kid has that effect on people." He grinned. "Don't worry Hotch, you'll get used to it."

"Have the local police located the dog?" Reid asked, continuing to read, flicking the pages too often to be considered anything close to a normal reading pace.

Morgan shook his head. "What makes you think they have a dog, kid? They're not licenced for one, there weren't any bowls or dog shampoo at the house…"

Reid shook his head adamantly. "They have a dog. Golden retriever judging by the hair in the house and on the clothes of the family." He flipped another page. "If it was a visiting dog, the mother would have cleaned up all of the hair as soon as it left. But there's dog hair on the couch and on everyone's clothes, even what they weren't wearing at the time."

Hotch took Reid aside when the jet landed, waiting for the others to leave before speaking. "How old are you?" he asked curiously.

Reid frowned before squaring his shoulders. "I am twenty-two, I have three PhD's and two BA's, I read at an average pace of 20,000 words per minute and I have an eidetic memory." He spoke quickly, answering all of the most usual questions in order to save some time.

Hotch shook his head, smiling slightly. "I wasn't asking so I could be offensive or attack you in some way. I'm just curious." He paused for a moment before continuing. "This team is as close as families get, but they all know you and I don't. I know that that is my own doing, but it's still strange to experience." He explained quietly.

Reid nodded, smiling shyly. "I know you all are close, and I am well aware that just because I haven't met you before doesn't make you any less a part of this family. I don't judge you, Agent Hotchner, you've been doing what you thought needed doing. The others know that as well. But they do miss you."


	3. Chapter 3

Hotch approached JJ slowly, not entirely sure why it mattered to him. "JJ…the others seemed to be of the impression that you've been asking Reid to consult on cases for some time…?" he let his words drift off, hoping she would fill in the blanks.

She smiled, closing her notebook. "Because I _have_ been asking Reid to consult with us for quite some time. He is brilliant, Hotch, and his current work and studies do little to push him." She sighed, glancing down at her folded hands before looking back to her boss, letting him see her concern. "But he's only twenty-two and he's had a hard enough life already; he's wary of exposing himself to the horrors of our work, especially considering his eidetic memory."

Hotch frowned. "So what was different with this case? He agreed to consult, and I'm sure you've been using the same tactics since the start. He also seems to handle it all quite well." He couldn't quite understand the young man, and it frustrated him that the others knew him so well.

JJ bit her bottom lip; she hated to even _think_ about what pushed Reid to do what he did. "It was the fact that the UnSub was leaving the victims out for kids to find." She answered slowly. "He didn't say as much, but I know that's why he agreed. He couldn't stand by and watch as that happened to children."

Hotch frowned, thinking that over. "Children have been involved in our cases before. What was different with this one?"

JJ was shrugging her shoulders when Reid walked into the room. "Children external to the case were discovering the bodies. They weren't the children of the victims or victims themselves, but they have to suffer that horror for the rest of their lives. And it never gets any easier. Because you witness the body and process it as a child, the emotions of the event never change as you grow." He grimaced, staring at the ground. "I should know."

JJ gasped, pulling Reid into a tight hug. "Oh Reid, you never said anything!" she cried, clinging to her friend.

Reid shrugged. "You were just a kid as well. I wasn't going to talk to you about it and give you bad memories too." He whispered, hugging her back just as tightly. "Besides, knowing that I could protect you from something like that…it helped."

Hotch stood off to the side in awe; even as a child Reid had been protective of those around him. If he could somehow find a way to offer emotional support to the young man he wondered if he would consider joining their family full time. He would be a priceless addition of knowledge and perspective to the team. Not to mention the fact that everyone already loved him.

JJ pulled back just enough so that she could see his face. "Spence, although I appreciate that you protected my childhood, I need you to promise me that if you need help in the future that you will come to me or one of the others." Tears welled in her eyes. "I know you're used to taking care of yourself, but you're not alone anymore. You have a family now."

Reid nodded slowly. "As long as you promise not to work in the field for too much longer; it's not polite to put another life at risk when they have no chance to object." He glanced at her stomach and back up to her face, kissing her cheek. "Congratulations."

JJ grinned at him. "I haven't even told Will yet, so don't go stealing my thunder, alright?" she pulled him into another quick hug before stepping back. Reid liked his personal space and JJ respected that as much as she could. "And you'll have your own responsibilities, as godfather."

His eyes widened and he shook his head. "No, no, that's not a good idea. Don't you remember the Reid Effect?" he was worried, that was easy to see, but he was also very happy that JJ wanted him to be godfather. "Kids don't like me; it's not a good idea."

JJ smiled calmly at her friend. "This one will know you from the day they're born. This child will _love_ you Spence. Think about it, talk to me about your worries, and we'll see what happens." He nodded and left the room quickly, leaving just JJ and Hotch.

"How did he know you're pregnant if you haven't told anyone?" Hotch asked curiously. The young man amazed him constantly, and although Morgan had assured him he would get used to it, Hotch doubted he ever would.

JJ shook her head. "How does Spence know most of what he knows? He would have read about pregnancy at some point no doubt, and just remembered the early symptoms. When they matched up with mine he would have linked everything together." She stared at Hotch for a long moment. "We'll be down an agent in the field…and you've been saying we need an extra addition to the team for some time anyway. Do you think we could appoint Spence without advertising?"

Hotch smiled. "I was just wondering if he would accept a position with us. Do you think he would take it if we set up some sort of support system?"

The blonde nodded, watching her friend through the window working intently on the case board. "He's protective of this new family he has. If for no other reason, he would take the position so he can protect his people. And now that he's had a taste of what we do…I don't think he'll want to leave it alone."

Hotch called the team together for a meeting once they returned from the case. "Hotch, have we got another case already?" Morgan asked in concern; they were never called back to the conference room unless there was another case.

Hotch shook his head. "No, but there is something I need to discuss with you all, and I would rather others not overhear." He waited until everyone was seated before he continued. "JJ?" he turned to her, offering for her to share her news.

JJ smiled happily at him. "Thanks Hotch. Guys, I'm pregnant. Will and I have been trying for a while and now…now we've got a baby on the way. That means sometime in the next few months that I'm going to have to stand down from field duty, and then go on maternity leave."

Everyone spent several minutes shifting between excited congratulations for their friend and expressing their dread at who they would have to replace her. It wasn't often that they found someone who could do their work _and_ fit I with the team.

"I'm hoping the organise JJ's replacement within the next few days so we can start providing training. It's not set in concrete yet, and keep in mind that I haven't even discussed this with him, but I'm hoping to bring Dr Reid into the empty position. We've been operating one agent short for so long that I'm sure we'll be able to manage until JJ returns from maternity leave."


	4. Chapter 4

"Reid, I would have stopped kicking sooner, but I wasn't sure you caught onto my plan… I hope I didn't hurt you." Hotch's stomach was in knots over the kicks he had sunk into Reid's torso. Much to his surprise, Reid merely smirked.

"Hotch, I was a child prodigy in a Las Vegas high school…you kick like a nine year old girl." He smiled at his boss. The fact that Hotch was so obviously torn over what he had done warmed Reid's heart.

Just as Hotch was about to wander away and give Reid some space, the first responder checking Reid over spoke. "I think you have at least three broken ribs, but I'm reasonably sure there's no internal bleeding. I'd still prefer you come in for observations overnight."

Hotch stared at Reid, stunned. The young man looked like he would snap in a strong wind, and yet he sat quite calmly with broken ribs. When Reid grew uncomfortable under Hotch's gaze, he turned to the man beside him. "I know what to look out for with regards to internal bleeding. I'll be fine, thank you." With that he rose from where he sat on the ambulance tailgate and walked away.

Hotch followed, uncertain if he was about to step over one of Reid's boundaries. "You're not going home when they want you in the hospital." He commented quietly. "I know you have an aversion to hospitals, but if you won't go to a hospital I need you to at least stay with someone tonight." He turned concerned eyes to meet Reid's stunned gaze. "I'd worry."

Reid's smile was stunningly bright. "No one has ever done something like that for me before Hotch, thank you."

Before he could stop it, his brow had raised and the words slipped out of his mouth. "What? No one has ever beaten you up and then tried to take it back?" the sarcastic quip was out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he knew Reid never picked up on sarcasm.

The younger agent merely shook his head. "Definitely not that. But I was referring to your insistence that I have company in case something happens." Before Hotch could comment he continued. "JJ would have, I'm sure…had she known every time I was beaten and had to stay by myself at home. She's a worrier, I didn't want her stressing over things she couldn't control."

Hotch shook his head in stunned silence before letting out a sigh. "Alright, would you stay at my place? I promise not to hover…too much." Guilt was nawing at his stomach that _he_ had been the one to do this to Reid. Sure, there hadn't been another choice, but he felt he should have waited to see if another choice presented.

Reid was shaking his head before Hotch even finished his sentence. Hotch knew he wasn't much for people, especially new people, but he had thought that kid had gotten used to him. Morgan appeared beside Reid, watching the younger man closely.

"Come on Pretty Boy, you're staying with me until you're healed up." He didn't give the younger man a chance to protest as he led him toward his car, he offered Hotch a tight nod. Hotch noticed the protectiveness and hovering. He'd never seen Morgan like this before.

Hotch glanced at the screen of his phone, surprised that Derek was calling him so late. "You broke three of his ribs!" Morgan growled angrily through the phone before Hotch could say hello. "You're lucky you didn't puncture one of his lungs, he'd never heal from that."

"What do you mean he'd never heal from that? Why wouldn't he heal?" Hotch asked cautiously; he could tell Morgan was beyond angry with him. He was more protective of Reid than he was with even Garcia.

"His lungs aren't in the greatest shape. Ever since he had the plague…he's never quite been back to full health as far as his lungs are concerned." Morgan spoke quietly, as if he was hiding from the memory itself. "He was consulting with the CDC a while back; someone was releasing different strains of the virus onto the public. Reid helped them figure out who it was and went to help them find data. He was the first into the lab…and he locked the door behind him as soon as he realised the air was contaminated."

Hotch held his breath, not sure how he felt about this. It was obvious Morgan cared deeply for the younger man, and so Hotch found himself just as protective, if only to protect Morgan from heartache. "What happened?"

Morgan sighed. "They called me in; he thinks more clearly when there's someone around to bounce his thoughts off of. I watched him work through that entire lab, looking for the cure. He wouldn't let anyone else in, not even in suits. He said he was already exposed, why chance their lives as well?" he took a deep breath. "I was watching him _die_ Hotch."

Given that Morgan's anger seemed to have calmed, Hotch decided it was time to push a little. "So when are you going to tell him how you feel? When are you going to ask him out?" he could easily tell how Morgan felt, but he wasn't sure yet about Reid. Morgan would have to make that call for himself.

Morgan cursed under his breath. "That obvious huh? And the kid is still completely oblivious." He chuckled. "I was going to take him to this new book store this weekend…but now…he should rest."

Hotch shook his head. "Morgan, he won't care if you're in a fancy restaurant, surrounded by books or in some dirty alleyway. Just tell him how you feel and ask him out."


End file.
